7 Oct 2021 OceanaGold WNP Project, Waihi - Archaeological / Heritage Assessment Recorded Archaeological Sites Previous archaeological survey and the corresponding locations of recorded archaeological sites within the wider Waihi area has focused around the significant historic mining landscape associated with the settlement of Waihi township, and the Golden Cross gold mining area in the Waitekauri Valley to the west of the Project site. This is very apparent from the clustered distribution of recorded archaeological sites seen in Figure 7. Only one previously recorded archaeological site was located within the WUG Project area, which is the Royal Standard Battery site (T12/681) located near the head of the Wharekirauponga Valley near the WUG resource. Background research for this report also identified three other heritage sites located within or in close proximity to the Project’s main infrastructure site at the end of Willows Road - the Mataura Water Race, the Willows Timber Tramline and the High-Level Walmsley Timber Tramway (Figure 7, Table 1 and Appendix 1). Table 1. Archaeological and other historic heritage sites recorded within the vicinity of the proposed WUG. Sites that will be affected by the project are highlighted grey NZAA Site No. District Plan ref HNZ List ref Site Type Location NZTM Easting NZTM Northing T12/681 Historic Area HAU 271 Cat B Royal Standard Battery and gold mining Wharekirauponga Valley 1850383 5868875 T13/961 Mataura Water Race Mataura Stream, Willows Road 1853346 5862458 T13/962 Willows Timber Tramway Mataura Stream Valley 1853539 5862419 T13/963 High Level Walmsley Timber Tramway Walmsley Stream Valley, Mataura Stream Valley 1852898 5862310 Royal Standard Battery site and gold mining (T12/681) The Royal Standard Battery site (T12/681) is located near the head of the Wharekirauponga Valley near the WUG resource. However, this site covers the wider Royal Standard mining area from the 1890s, incorporating the battery and cyanide plant remains, adits and tunnels along with other gold mine workings, tramways and a water race, the site of previous mine buildings, and numerous pieces of machinery and artefacts. The Royal Standard Battery, Wharekirauponga is also scheduled on the Hauraki District Plan – HAU271 Category B – Heritage Area, Regional or Sub-Regional Significance (see Figure 8; Appendix 2).
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